The San Francisco Bay Area can't expect significant relief from the wildfire smoke-choked air until next week.

A forecast earlier in the week indicated a system moving through the area Sunday night and kicking up a wind that would have blown the smoke out. Now, it looks like the system isn't going to make it close enough to spare our air.

The current weather pattern is going to hold through Tuesday, and on Wednesday a storm in the forecast is expected to finally bring relief from the eye-stinging polluted air.

There will be a change in wind direction, and that clean marine air coming in from the Pacific," says Spencer Tangen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Monterey office. " That onshore wind will be stronger, and it'll help to mix out the smoke, and push the smoke out."

There's also a 30 to 40 percent chance of rain on Wednesday, and Tangen says, "The rain will actually remove some of the smoke itself." Rain also returns to the forecast on Thursday, with a 40 to 50 percent chance.

Residents have been choking on toxic, eye-stinging smoke for days, as the Camp Fire in Butte County continues to rage. The conditions have shut down schools — San Francisco schools will be closed on Friday — cancelled sporting events and led many to purchase special masks to filter out the particulate matter. San Francisco Airport has seen delays due to low visibility.

National Weather Service meteorologist Drew Peterson says smoke from the fire is filling the Sacramento Valley, creating a deep reservoir of polluted air. A light offshore wind is gently pushing the smoke from the valley to the southwest toward the Delta. When the smoke hits this narrower opening in the valley, it fans out, spreading across the Bay Area. Here the air is stagnant, and little smoke is escaping through the Golden Gate's skinny opening.

"More smoke is able to enter through the Central Valley than is able to exit through the Golden Gate," explains Peterson. "We're just getting this steady feed of smoke from the Central Valley and then once it's here, it doesn't have a way to get out."

With a high-pressure system parked over Northern California, this pattern is expected to hold through Tuesday and air-quality will remain within the "unhealthy" range.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District extended its Winter Spare the Air Alert through Tuesday. Residents should limit outdoor activity as much as possible, and continue to listen to health information from their local authorities.